Nutrition

3 things I learned

The first thing I learned is the importance of eating right. Both my body and mind need good nutrition to run effectively. My parents always told me to "Eat a lot of veggies, finish all your food, and drink lots of water" but they never educated me thoroughly about the importance of nutrition. Like a traditional Vietnamese family, we have three meals a day, and I was taught to never leave any rice behind. However, I learned that in order to keep energy up consistently, it is recommended that you eat three to six small meals daily. I've learned that consuming carbohydrates make you sleepy and sluggish, while consuming protein boosts your energy level. More than anything, in your counseling 20 classes, I've learned the importance of eating breakfast! It is recommended that breakfast be consumed approximately an hour after waking up when your metabolism begins to speed up. Not only that, but I've also learned to consume a variety of foods. Eating different types of foods will ensure that I get all the protein, minerals and vitamins that I need to make sure my energy levels are consistent. Practicing good nutritional behavior promotes maintaining a healthy weight while reducing the risk of cancer, diabetes, high cholesterol levels, heart disease and obesity. This is important to me and my loved ones because I don't want to be the poster child for "Super size me" nor do I want to die early leaving behind a big bill rather than a big WILL. Your counseling 20 class has encouraged me to take the first stepping stone to success, taking care of myself.

The second thing I learned is the importance of communication. Not listening to the other person while hearing only what you want to hear and waiting until your turn can get you in trouble. Not only is it not mentally healthy or attractive, but not training yourself to listen can cause more anger and misunderstanding. As I read through the bullets that list factors that block communication, I do find myself guilty of assuming others will be able to read my mind when I don't completely state my needs and vice versa. It is important to be able to understand how others are, how they affect you and how you can understand others. In the long run, building strong relationships with new peers and enhancing existing ones can be mentally healthy and attractive just as smiles are.

The third if not the most important fact I've learned is about stress and how I can take actions to reduce it. When the spring semester began and I was working 20 hours at the assessment center on campus. Ideally, working on campus seems to promote connectedness between the college and student but somehow, it wasn't quite cutting it for me financially. Being a full time student carrying 15 units and working 20 hours at $7.00 an hour is not easy especially when I have expenses to be paid for and not nearly enough time to study. I was putting myself more in debt as the days rolled by and I felt helpless. I was still motivated to do well in school because I knew getting a degree would take me one step closer to retiring my parents. The semester began; I continued to have the strong drive and desire to do well throughout the semester. I knew I had made the right choice to take counseling 20 with you because on that one member